Sebelius pledges to hold the line on taxes

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, flanked by House Speaker, Mike O'Neal, R-Hutchinson, left, and Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, delivers her State of the State address Monday at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka.

“The promise of our future must not be forgotten in the problems of the moment,” she said.

Sebelius added, “Our state’s motto is as true today as it was in 1861. We will overcome our difficulties; we will reach the stars yet again. There will be a better day.”

GOP, Democrats clash

Republicans — some more than others — criticized Sebelius’ speech, saying its lack of details failed to advance the debate over a budget crisis that has been growing for months.

“I did expect more insight in the budget than what we got tonight,” House Speaker Mike O’Neal, R-Hutchinson, said after Sebelius addressed a joint session of the House and Senate.

Because of shrinking tax revenues, lawmakers face an immediate deficit of $186 million, which could skyrocket to $1 billion by the start of the next fiscal year July 1.

Kansas Republican Party Chairman Kris Kobach said of Sebelius, “She seems incapable of even suggesting any of the tough decisions that must be made in the months ahead.”

But Democrats rallied to Sebelius’ defense.

State Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, argued that because of the budget problems, Sebelius properly talked about protecting services and focusing on future investments.

“So, what she has reminded us of are the opportunities on the table that we need to be working on,” Francisco said.

Sen. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, agreed, saying, “Considering the financial challenges that we have, I think the governor is being very ambitious, and putting forth the notion that we need to keep investing in the future.”

Caution urged on cuts

Sebelius said her spending plans, which will be unveiled today, would “make significant reductions in most agencies,” eliminate programs, close facilities and freeze hiring of state employees.

Sebelius also, however, urged legislators to be careful when cutting the budget to protect investments that will pay off in the future.

“In an economic downturn, decisions can have dire consequences and a lifetime impact on future generations,” Sebelius said. “No student can afford to ‘miss’ a few years of quality education. No Kansan can be denied lifesaving care while waiting for the economy to improve.”

She said a number of initiatives on the horizon have the potential to spur mammoth economic growth in Kansas.

She cited the state’s pursuit of National Cancer Institute designation as one of those. And, she said, her recently released energy plan could bring thousands of “green” jobs to the state through development of wind energy.

Schools, welfare and coal

Republicans, who hold significant majorities in the Legislature, also promised not to increase taxes, and said social service and public school funding cuts may be needed to bridge the budget shortfall.

“Medicaid and K-12 represent the greatest costs to the state budget, so both must be considered ‘on the table’ in any discussion to balance the budgets for FY 2009 and 2010,” Senate President Stephen Morris, R-Hugoton, said in an address that followed Sebelius’.

Earlier in the day, about two dozen people demonstrated outside the Capitol against a freeze in a program to help low-income Kansans with disabilities.

“In terms of people’s lives, it’s devastating,” Mike Oxford of Lawrence, an organizer with Kansas ADAPT, said of the decision by the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services to halt accepting new clients for the Medicaid program that provides home- and community-based services for Kansans with physical disabilities.

On energy policy, Morris made it clear that Sebelius and Republicans would wrestle again over the two proposed coal-burning power plants in southwestern Kansas.

Morris wants the plants as part of a comprehensive energy plan, saying, “I am absolutely convinced we will need every single megawatt of power from every conceivable energy source to feed the ever-increasing energy appetite of our state and the nation.”

Sebelius has opposed the plants, saying the project’s annual emission of 11 million tons of carbon dioxide would produce health and environmental damage, while most of the power would be exported out of state.

In the current political and economic situation, she said, the plants are unfeasible.

“Kansas is already one of the nation’s worst offenders in per capita carbon emissions, which makes us vulnerable to the costs and penalties of imminent federal regulation,” she said.

Rep. Tom Sloan, R-Lawrence, said he agrees with Sebelius on promoting wind energy, but he said coal-fired energy has to be part of the mix. “I keep saying the issues are affordable and reliable energy,” Sloan said.

Comments

Morris is an idiot for saying “Medicaid and K-12 represent the greatest costs to the state budget, so both must be considered ‘on the table’ in any discussion to balance the budgets for FY 2009 and 2010”. This single statement is antagonistic and made solely to create problems between Sebelius, democrats, and republicans. Then he again brings up the coal-plant issue. If Kansas was actually going to be using the power produced by those plants, I'd say "Go ahead, build them!". Unfortunately, Kansas will NOT be using the majority of power produced by those plants. The power produced by those plants will be sold (at a profit) by the power company (I think its' Black Hills now) to other states with higher environmental emissions laws than Kansas. Meanwhile, Kansans foot some of the construction costs and have to deal with the increased levels of KNOWN carcinogens in Kansas water, air, and land.

I wonder just how much money Morris has invested into the power companies involved in the power-plant issue? As to laying off of state workers - Most of the layoffs(if they happen) will be done to the people that actually WORK. Road crews, police, etc. - the bureaucracy workers will barely be touched by layoffs(if they occur). So, public services will decline, while the bureaucrats still get paid for causing hassles for the public. (I'm sure that there may be some bureaucrats that actually care about how their jobs effect others, but most are just concerned about doing their jobs, NOT how they effect the people they are supposed to help.)

The State Racing and Gaming Commission already has. However, what's happening in my agency, rather than the hiring freeze, is that when an employee quits or retires, they are not being replaced, and the workload is reallocated to the remaining employees. I personally have no problem with this but if and when the economic stimulus is passed, this may become a big problem because we simply won't be able to keep up. Oh, and I am one of the bureaucrats that actually does care about the job and the people that it affects because as a taxpaying citizen, the projects that I work on affect me too. I realize this is not the case across the board, but I am blessed to work with professionals.

I just don't see the coal burning plant as being a big issue. Heck, losing the Hard Rock Casino in KC might have been a more costly blow then that.We are just in a black hole in 2009, between the federal deficit, unemployment, most states broke. Have fun Obama.

Time to legalize drugs & have the man take his pinch off as opposed to the corner drug dealer.Also, I don't necessarily see any layoffs in the future to be bad. For the most part, the state will be cutting fat.

Steve Morris is the Senator from the district that the Sunflower coal plant expansion would be constructed in. All of his constiutents are members of Sunflower's rural electric cooperative umbrella. Sunflower itself is non-profit. Morris is misguided on the demand issue as Kansas has a surplus of electricity and will for the next several years along with a very modest population growth in our state-including negative growth in much of Sunflower's service area. Morris also neglects to mention most of the power would be shipped out of state. And lastly, at least as of last year, Morris is fairly ignorant of climate sience and had not read the IPCC reports.

I am ready for this woman to be out of office. I have seen nothing good come from her stint as Governor. She skirted the real issues and should have unveiled a plan last night. Why wait until the next day? What purpose does that serve other than to make sure your name gets in the paper again? Honestly, the way she talked I thought our Motto had changed to Kansas: The Miracle State.

“I am absolutely convinced we will need every single megawatt of power from every conceivable energy source to feed the ever-increasing energy appetite of our state and the nation.”Senator Morris would look at the contestants on The Biggest Loser and offer them an all you can eat pizza party.Have an ever increasing appetite? Well then, let's get you fed!Me Want Fooooooood!!!

Whether due to the economy, or whatever, has anyone noticed that that little hot dog stand the Coney Island Hut over by Paisano's has closed up?, Also a while back, the BBQ place in the old Don's Steak House.

invictus - The Federal Reserve does not print cash. The Treasury department prints cash. The Federal Reserve only works with the Treasury to replace wornout bank notes. In fact, the Federal Reserve destroys old currency. But you are right, we don't live in a demacracy - we never have. We live in a representative republic.

State Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, argued that because of the budget problems, Sebelius properly talked about protecting services and focusing on future investments.------------------------------------------Where did Marci get that???? MMMM

Read - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123146363567166677.html A wall street journal writer (economist) has good insight into how all the governmental efforts to adust things are really only making things worse. An excerpt: "Politicians invariably respond to crises -- that in most cases they themselves created -- by spawning new government programs, laws and regulations. These, in turn, generate more havoc and poverty, which inspires the politicians to create more programs . . . and the downward spiral repeats itself until the productive sectors of the economy collapse under the collective weight of taxes and other burdens imposed in the name of fairness, equality and do-goodism."

invictus - sniveling tool??? I don't disagree with your point on inflation, etc. But, you made a factual error about who would be pumping cash into the economy and if anything, the Fed was overly conservative about inflation several years ago when they raised interest rates too fast (JMHO). And, do you always call people names on message boards when they point out obvious errors or are you so famous that we all should have known your opinion on the semantics of demacracy?

The state of Kansas has an electrictiy surplus and will continue to have one into the near future, maybe longer. Energy efficiency, wind, and natural gas are much cheaper than a new nuclear plant. A new nuke facility will take 7-10 years to construct. Anyone advocating for a new nuclear facility in this state must want much higher electric rates for customers, is from Coffey County, or may have recently escaped from Larned.